May 4 Visitors Center

New May 4 Visitors Center employee alert! Our director decided to open up early today, luckily this guy was around to help. He needed very little training!

When the sun comes up we’ve got something to do, and that something is honoring Dean Kahler on his birthday at our latest exhibition Dean Kahler and Disability Rights. Please join us in the Reflections gallery from 10 am - 12 pm to honor Dean and our student artists.

Happy Birthday, Allison! Today she would have been 75.

She celebrated her 19th birthday on April 23rd, 1970, just 11 days before she was killed in the May 4 shooting.

Her younger sister, Laurie, came to Kent to see her on her birthday, then a few days later her parents drove up to visit.

When the sun comes up, we're ready to install! Still Standing: Dean Kahler and Disability Rights is being installed and we can't wait to share it will you! Please join us May 1 at 10 AM for the opening celebration or throughout the weekend of Commemoration activities.

As we approach this year’s Jerry M. Lewis May 4 Lecture, we recognize that this history remains deeply personal, particularly for those with lived memories of May 4, 1970.

This year’s speaker, historian David Strittmatter, will present research from his oral history project documenting the voices of Ohio National Guard members present that day, perspectives that contribute to a fuller understanding of the events. We honor the memory of those killed and wounded and recognize the experiences of survivors that continue to shape our understanding of May 4.

This program is offered in the spirit of learning, remembrance, and thoughtful dialogue, qualities that Dr. Lewis held closely. The program will conclude with a remembrance of Dr. Lewis.

Read more about the event and get information on registering here:

David Strittmatter to Deliver 2026 Jerry M. Lewis May 4 Lecture on Kent State Guardsmen Oral Histories Ohio Northern University historian David Strittmatter will present the 2026 Jerry M. Lewis May 4 Lecture Series, sharing firsthand oral histories from Ohio National Guardsmen who were present during the May 4, 1970, shootings at Kent State University.

Yesterday marked Vietnam Veterans Day, observed on March 29 to commemorate the 1973 departure of the last U.S. combat troops from Vietnam, an event documented here in the Daily Kent Stater.

Today, a special memorial in bloom on the Commons honors the 58,175 U.S. service members who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. The installation was created by Professor Emeritus Brinsley Tyrrell, offering a powerful, living tribute to those who served and sacrificed.

Take a moment to visit, reflect, and remember.